Figure skater turned roller derby girl Neddy will bowl you over in Heather J. Wood’s uplifting book about growing up and deciding for yourself. Neddy rejects the sacrifices necessary to succeed as a figure skater—early mornings, a diet of apples and celery, and the pressure to perform—in favour of the rough and tumble adventures and fiesty camaraderie of the roller derby community. Her father is out of the country while she embarks on her first year of university, so Neddy is free to consider her guilt about not following in her mother’s footsteps, navigate a new love, and discover who she really is and what she really wants.

“Readers will roll and spin and root for Neddy. I certainly did!” —Sheree Fitch, author of Pluto’s Ghost

“A fun, painful, yet joyful celebration of one athlete’s coming of age, readers will find Neddy’s story of smashing it up on the derby floor irresistibly engaging—this book is for anyone who has ever seized a challenge, put on a pair of skates, or believed in the long shot.” —Ibi Kaslik, author of Skinny and The Angel Riots

“Neddy’s my kind of young woman: fearless, opinionated, and not afraid to wipeout on the derby track. Any girl who identifies with tough, in- your-face heroes, rather than perfect princesses, should read this book immediately. Then go out and buy some roller skates and a helmet!” —Emily Pohl-Weary, author of A Girl Like Sugar and Strange Times at Western High

“This is a great book with a true voice. Neddy’s growing sense of empowerment comes across clearly. She has real-life decisions to make, and she chooses like a real girl would. It imparts a lesson we all need to learn: that no one else has the power to make you happy.”—Jenaissance

“Heather Wood has drawn a nicely rounded character in Neddy. Her inner turmoil is subtly played out… This book is recommended.”—Resource Links

“The writing is solid and witty”—Blood and Thunder

Heather J. Wood was born and raised in Montreal. She now lives and writes in Toronto. Tightrope Books published her coming of age novel, Fortune Cookie, in 2009.